The 34-year-old's Aston Martin spun off the track around ten minutes into the 24-hour endurance race and hit the safety barriers at the Tertre Rouge bend.

He was taken to the on-site medical centre but later died of his injuries, the organisers announced.

In a statement on Saturday, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest said: "In a serious condition, Allan Simonsen was transferred immediately to the Circuit Medical Centre where he died soon after due to his injuries."

The organisers expressed their "deepest condolences to the family and those close to Allan Simonsen".

Simonsen's death is the first in the race since 1986, when Austrian Jo Gartner died after hitting safety barriers head-on at 160mph, while in 1997 French driver Sebastien Enjolras was killed during a pre-qualifying session after his car overturned and burst into flames.